Dust collection

[UROK]

Ingenious.

3 hours and $240!

What would a commercial unit cost, for example?

[Jon Barnhardt]

Ingenious.

3 hours and $240!

What would a commercial unit cost, for example?

Well, here is one example at less than half the throughput of the one I built...
http://www.amazon.com/708614-AFS-1500-S ... 69&sr=8-27

[Greg Plouvier]

Finally got the dust collection filter/air filter built and up and running. Contains 2 attic fans rated at 1600CFM each blowing upwards. 6 filters total around all 4 sides. It makes a HUGE difference in the shop.

Jon - where'd you pick up the filter holders?

[UROK]

Interesting. Thanks.

Half the power, twice the price and only 3-star reviews.

Probably take longer than 3 hours to get it set up too!

[Jon Barnhardt]

Finally got the dust collection filter/air filter built and up and running. Contains 2 attic fans rated at 1600CFM each blowing upwards. 6 filters total around all 4 sides. It makes a HUGE difference in the shop.

Jon - where'd you pick up the filter holders?

At my local Menards. I would assume any home improvement store would carry though in the heating and air section...

[Jon Barnhardt]

I would assume for smaller spaces you could build this for almost half the cost using only one fan and 4 filters, but my shop is 30' x 60' x 16' so there is a lot of cubic feet to filter. A two or three stall garage would be a lot smaller and need a lot smaller unit.

Here is a link to the fans I used:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001V5J1XA

I direct wired them, bypassing the thermostat, which is detailed in the instruction sheet that comes with the fan.

As far as noise, I would say they are way quieter than my shop vac and probably just a little louder than a car running with stock exhaust system.

[el_ingeniero]

What size particles are those filters rated for? It's the particles under .5 microns that are the most dangerous ... a couple of thimblefuls in a standard 24' x 24' garage violates OSHA standards.

[Jon Barnhardt]

What size particles are those filters rated for? It's the particles under .5 microns that are the most dangerous ... a couple of thimblefuls in a standard 24' x 24' garage violates OSHA standards.

Whatever you are willing to pay for

I think the ones in there now are rated for .5 microns, but since I am not a "public" place of business, I don't think OSHA is going to come knocking on my door... It is way better than it was before in my opinion, and that is all that really counts in my situation, since it's considered private property.

[el_ingeniero]

Eh, it's your lungs ... it's the dust you can't see that hurts you the most.

Personally, if I had a personal shop space, I'd exhaust all the air outside and call it a day.

[Jon Barnhardt]

That get's mighty expensive when you toss out all the heat also in these parts...

[el_ingeniero]

That get's mighty expensive when you toss out all the heat also in these parts...

I have a cabinetmaker friend chronic respiratory problems, who's run his own small shop for 20+ years. He just got over a 4 month bout with pneumonia last May, and now he's getting sick all over again. It doesn't help that he smokes, but the man looks like he's over 70, but isn't 60 yet.

I haven't been to his shop, but I'm willing to bet it's neat as a pin, but without any dust control at all.

Buy once, cry once: between all the jobs he's not been able to do and the medical bills, it seems to me that gathering all that fine dust properly and venting it outside and taking a hit on the heating bill is cheap insurance.

[Jon Barnhardt]

That get's mighty expensive when you toss out all the heat also in these parts...

I have a cabinetmaker friend chronic respiratory problems, who's run his own small shop for 20+ years. He just got over a 4 month bout with pneumonia last May, and now he's getting sick all over again. It doesn't help that he smokes, but the man looks like he's over 70, but isn't 60 yet.

I haven't been to his shop, but I'm willing to bet it's neat as a pin, but without any dust control at all.

Buy once, cry once: between all the jobs he's not been able to do and the medical bills, it seems to me that gathering all that fine dust properly and venting it outside and taking a hit on the heating bill is cheap insurance.

Trust me, advice well taken. I don't have near the prolonged exposure though. I probably spend 6-10 hours a week working with sawdust max. and that is usually spread over 3-4 days, so a couple hours during those days. It would take the rest of my lifetime plus some to reach those quoted levels of exposure. I also use a dust deputy system with hoses on all my tools and recently also started wearing masks with the router, so this is just more added comfort than anything for the dry eyes...

[el_ingeniero]

That get's mighty expensive when you toss out all the heat also in these parts...

I have a cabinetmaker friend chronic respiratory problems, who's run his own small shop for 20+ years. He just got over a 4 month bout with pneumonia last May, and now he's getting sick all over again. It doesn't help that he smokes, but the man looks like he's over 70, but isn't 60 yet.

I haven't been to his shop, but I'm willing to bet it's neat as a pin, but without any dust control at all.

Buy once, cry once: between all the jobs he's not been able to do and the medical bills, it seems to me that gathering all that fine dust properly and venting it outside and taking a hit on the heating bill is cheap insurance.

Trust me, advice well taken. I don't have near the prolonged exposure though. I probably spend 6-10 hours a week working with sawdust max. and that is usually spread over 3-4 days, so a couple hours during those days. It would take the rest of my lifetime plus some to reach those quoted levels of exposure. I also use a dust deputy system with hoses on all my tools and recently also started wearing masks with the router, so this is just more added comfort than anything for the dry eyes...

From Bill Pentz' site: "In summary we did not find one single small shop dust collector or cyclone with advertised fine filter that did not freely pass through a majority of the finest invisible unhealthiest dust."

[subharmonic]

You could make the baffles double thick and use prefilters. Carbon ones are relitively cheap, and big at Mernards.

[Tom Smit]

That get's mighty expensive when you toss out all the heat also in these parts...

Put the exhaust pipe inside of a bigger pipe, eg, a 3" pipe inside a 4" pipe. The larger pipe would draw air from outside and get heated from contact with the exhaust pipe. The longer the pipe, the more heat is exchanged.